Good questions, clear answers.

Individual sessions are typically 50 minutes — the standard therapy hour. Your first session may run a little longer to allow time for intake and paperwork.

The first session is an intake — a chance for us to get to know each other. We'll go over your paperwork and consents, talk about what brought you in, your history and current concerns, and what you're hoping to get from our work together. There's no pressure to share more than you're comfortable with, and it's also your time to ask me questions and get a feel for whether we're a good fit.

From the second session on, we begin the deeper work — building on what you've shared, setting goals, and choosing the approaches (such as EMDR, narrative, or person-centered methods) that fit you best. Therapy is collaborative, so we'll check in regularly on how it's going and adjust as we go.

EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is an evidence-based therapy that helps your brain reprocess distressing or traumatic memories so they lose their emotional intensity. Using gentle bilateral stimulation — like guided eye movements or tapping — while briefly focusing on a memory, EMDR supports your brain's own natural healing process and helps stuck experiences move toward resolution. I'm trained through an EMDRIA-approved program.

EMDR is most researched for trauma and PTSD and is recognized by leading health organizations for trauma treatment. It's also used for anxiety, panic, phobias, grief, performance stress, and the lingering effects of painful life experiences. It can be especially helpful when talk therapy alone hasn't fully resolved how a memory still affects you today.

Most clients begin weekly, which helps build momentum early on. As you make progress, we may shift to every other week or monthly. We'll decide together based on your goals and what's working for you.

I accept major credit and debit cards, as well as HSA and FSA cards.

If you're using in-network insurance, you're generally responsible for a copay or coinsurance, plus any unmet deductible. The exact amount varies by plan — it's best to call your insurer's member services line to confirm your behavioral health benefits, copay, and deductible before your first session.

A superbill is an itemized receipt of services that you submit to your insurance company to request out-of-network reimbursement. It's for clients whose plan I'm not in-network with, but who have out-of-network behavioral health benefits.

Reimbursement isn't guaranteed. Whether — and how much — you're reimbursed depends entirely on your individual plan's out-of-network benefits. I'd encourage you to call your insurer ahead of time to ask about out-of-network coverage for outpatient mental health services.

Your privacy is protected under HIPAA (the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act). Sessions are held on a HIPAA-compliant, encrypted telehealth platform, and your records are kept confidential and secure. You'll receive a Notice of Privacy Practices explaining your rights in detail.

Before we begin, you'll review and sign an informed consent document. It explains how therapy works, the potential benefits and risks, my policies, confidentiality and its limits, and your rights as a client. Informed consent simply means you understand and agree to how we'll work together — and you're welcome to ask questions about any part of it, anytime.

Yes. What you share in therapy is confidential and protected by law. There are a few legal exceptions where I'm required to act to keep you or others safe — for example, if there's a risk of serious harm to yourself or another person, or suspected abuse of a child or vulnerable adult. We'll go over these limits together during informed consent, so there are no surprises.

I ask for at least 24 hours' notice to cancel or reschedule. Cancellations made with less than 24 hours' notice, or missed appointments, are charged the full session fee. Please note that insurance does not cover missed or late-cancelled appointments, so this fee is your responsibility.

If you arrive more than 20 minutes after your scheduled start time, the session is considered a missed appointment — it will be canceled and the full fee forfeited. Starting that late doesn't leave enough time to do meaningful, safe clinical work, and it affects the schedule for clients who come after you. Arriving on time protects the quality and continuity of your care.

To protect your privacy and keep clear professional boundaries, I don't accept friend or follow requests from current or former clients on personal social media. Any professional pages are for general information only and aren't a way to reach me about clinical matters — please use phone or email for anything related to your care.

I'm currently licensed only in Illinois, so I can see:

• Illinois residents, and
• People who are physically located in Illinois at the time of the session (this matters most for someone with a consistent, ongoing presence in the state).

State licensing rules say therapy takes place where the client is physically located during the session — so you'll need to be in Illinois when we meet. If you're traveling or relocating, let me know and we'll talk through what's possible.

Telehealth lets us meet securely by video from wherever you are in Illinois — no commute, more flexibility, and the same quality of care. All you need is a private space and a reliable internet connection. For many concerns, research shows telehealth therapy is just as effective as meeting in person.

Therapy sessions aren't designed for emergencies. If you're in crisis or thinking about harming yourself, please call or text 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline) or call 911 right away. Your safety comes first.